Monday, 5/5/97 Stanford defeats UCLA: 15-7, 15-10, 9-15, 6-15,
15-13 Loss in NCAA tournament especially hard for Nihipali,
Farmer
By Jennifer Kollenborn Daily Bruin Contributor COLUMBUS, Ohio —
When the clouds blackened and rain poured down in Columbus, Ohio, a
disappointed UCLA took refuge in a corner of the St. John Arena. It
wasn’t supposed to happen this way for the two-time defending NCAA
Champions, or maybe it was. But, for senior All-American Paul
Nihipali who played his last game in his collegiate career, the
loss seemed unbearable. At the end of the game, the tournament
plaque was bestowed to Stanford’s Mike Lambert whereupon Lambert
was announced the MVP of the tournament. "You can’t win all the
time," head coach Al Scates said. However, the loss shattered
Nihipali’s last volleyball wish as a Bruin to win the 1997 NCAA
crown. Yet, even though Nihipali didn’t grasp the title, his
riveting performance was a fitting end to an impressive career.
Nihipali scored 29 kills at a .322 clip, adding ten digs and nine
blocks. Nihipali has been the hot hand for the Bruins all season.
He earned first team All-MPSF honors along with Tom Stillwell, and
his average of 6.2 kills per game ranks sixth in the nation. An
outstanding hitter and competitor in the sport of volleyball,
Nihipali finished his final season on the Bruin squad last Saturday
with the most kills on the court. * * * The other individual who
made a major contribution for UCLA was sophomore quick-hitter Danny
Farmer. A 6-foot-3-inch Farmer replaced All-American Tom Stillwell
in Game 3 just when all hope seemed to be lost for the Bruins. Yet,
something happened as Farmer entered the arena propelling UCLA to
an astounding comeback. "Danny always comes off the bench well,"
Scates said. "He came in and fired the team up. He sparked the
offense right away." Farmer tallied five kills at a .444 clip,
added five blocks and one service ace. In Game 3, UCLA scored three
key points at a 1-2 deficit behind Farmer’s serving which paved the
way to the Bruin victory. In Game 4, UCLA picked up two points
behind Farmer’s serving, again jumping the Bruins to an 8-3 lead.
At the end of Game 4, Farmer teamed up with Brandon Taliaferro for
the block that gave the Bruins the winning point. Farmer’s
explosive performance last night threw Stanford a curve ball which
they couldn’t hit until the finale. Farmer’s quickness helped turn
the tide in the Bruin’s favor, only not long enough to give UCLA
its anticipated third consecutive NCAA title.